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Ross Fulton Analysis: 4 Things To Watch In Ohio State Spring Football · Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to buckeyst Tomorrow Morning for Thursday, April second. I'm
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  Speaker 1: your host, tom Or the ball State game in one
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  Speaker 1: hundred and fifty six days the game against Michigan in
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  Speaker 1: two hundred and forty days. On today's show, we're joined
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  Speaker 1: by our ex's and No's guru, Ross Fulton and when
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  Speaker 1: Ross's on, the show were sponsored by Jeff Rubies of Columbus,
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  Speaker 1: probably offering nationally acclaimed US Day Prime stakes, seafood and sushi,
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  Speaker 1: impeccable service, live entertainment, and an attention to detail that
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  Speaker 1: is simply unmatched. Just go to Jeff Ruby dot com
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  Speaker 1: slash Columbus to check out the menu and make a
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  Speaker 1: reservation today. All right, last week we talked to Ross
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  Speaker 1: about the defense and some early takeaways from spring ball.
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  Speaker 1: Today we're going to be talking about the offense. May
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  Speaker 1: talk about some players, talk about some scheme stuff. Ross.
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  Speaker 1: Let's start with the new man in charge of the offense,
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  Speaker 1: Arthur Smith. We've talked about him a little already, but
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  Speaker 1: now we have maybe a little more detail on what
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  Speaker 1: they're working on so far and some of the guys
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  Speaker 1: who and how they're maybe sort of fit fitting together.
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  Speaker 1: So how different is are things going to look or
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  Speaker 1: how are things going to look different with Arthur Smith
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  Speaker 1: running the offense this year as opposed to Brian Hartline
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  Speaker 1: last year.
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  Speaker 2: Obviously remains to be seen, but I mean, I think
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  Speaker 2: it'll be noticeable, you know, in a few aspects. I
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  Speaker 2: wouldn't be surprised if they are under center more than
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  Speaker 2: they have been. I think they probably were a little
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  Speaker 2: bit more under center even last year compared to previous seasons,
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  Speaker 2: but I think that percentage might increase. I think that
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  Speaker 2: related to the fact that I think they're going to
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  Speaker 2: probably be based more out of wide zone or stretch
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  Speaker 2: as a run play than they have probably since like
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  Speaker 2: the Kevin Wilson air. You know, they got more diversified,
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  Speaker 2: more gap heavy obviously in the playoff run and then
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  Speaker 2: last year, you know, they were sort of a mixed bag,
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  Speaker 2: and you know, for better words, I'm not even sure
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  Speaker 2: you could really say they necessarily had one play that
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  Speaker 2: they hung their hat on in the run game. Arthur
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  Speaker 2: Smith has you know, been a heavy wide zone guy
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  Speaker 2: throughout his career. I think there's a lot of emphasis
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  Speaker 2: on that. I think that works pretty well from under center.
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  Speaker 2: And then obviously, you know, Julian saying is not a
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  Speaker 2: run threat per se, certainly not like a run read guy,
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  Speaker 2: and so you know you can get under center. What
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  Speaker 2: he is, though, is he's very effective off play action.
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  Speaker 2: So what run wide zone play action off of it?
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  Speaker 2: You know, Arthur Smith, I think we've talked about in
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  Speaker 2: the past, has had some you know r PO game
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  Speaker 2: out of under center, you know, where you can just
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  Speaker 2: pull and throw, particularly like on reliefs out wide, on
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  Speaker 2: bubble screens and the like, to wide receivers. So I
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  Speaker 2: do think they'll see more under center and more wide
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  Speaker 2: zone play action. And then I think you know what
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  Speaker 2: qrtez Hanko was talking about this weekend. I mean, obviously
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  Speaker 2: it seems like there's an emphasis on getting more yards
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  Speaker 2: out of the after the catch from the receiving core.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, part of that I think we could
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  Speaker 2: talk about is like personnel. But I do think a
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  Speaker 2: lot of that is scheme. You know, as we talked
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  Speaker 2: about last year, there was a lot of either four
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  Speaker 2: verticals on the one hand, or you know, running a
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  Speaker 2: lot of Hank Carl flat on the other, you know,
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  Speaker 2: sort of stationary target. So I do think we'll probably
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  Speaker 2: see more emphasis on different types of crossing routes as well.
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  Speaker 1: All right, so before we get to the skill guys
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  Speaker 1: in more detail, let's it all starts up front. This
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  Speaker 1: is all a football cliche, but it is also literally true.
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  Speaker 1: It all starts up front for the Buckeyes. And they
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  Speaker 1: have virtually everyone back from last season's offensive line. Haaershbowl
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  Speaker 1: the only one who is not back. A lot of
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  Speaker 1: you know, returning talent obviously, but also guys who are
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  Speaker 1: younger maybe getting a chance to earn a bigger role.
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  Speaker 1: What are you hearing about the offensive line in terms
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  Speaker 1: of who might be working together and what things may
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  Speaker 1: be looking like so far this spring? And is there
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  Speaker 1: a combination of guys or a general group of guys
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  Speaker 1: type of offensive linemen that would work better for what
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  Speaker 1: Arthur Smith wants to do.
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  Speaker 2: It seems like there's sort of like two variations right now.
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  Speaker 2: Like it seems like they are starting out with the
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  Speaker 2: four guys and the positions that they sort last year
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  Speaker 2: with Gave Van Sickle then at right guard, maybe Ian
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  Speaker 2: Moore working in at right guard as well, And then
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  Speaker 2: like the other variation that they seem to be trying
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  Speaker 2: out is bumping putting Ian Moore at left tackle and uh,
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  Speaker 2: you know, bumping Austin inside and then it's a right guard,
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  Speaker 2: you know. I mean, I think it's it's just really
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  Speaker 2: a question of can you know, how do they feel
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  Speaker 2: about Ian more? Like you know, as I said fall
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  Speaker 2: in the Miami game, I thought he played uh, you know,
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  Speaker 2: pretty well at left tackle, kind of coming to come
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  Speaker 2: in when Austin Seaville got hurt. And so, you know,
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  Speaker 2: I'm obvious in Sarahville I think is more of a
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  Speaker 2: guard type at least in the NFL. But conversely, like
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  Speaker 2: he played very well at left tackle for State last year,
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  Speaker 2: and so it's like, you know, how much do you
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  Speaker 2: want to move? I think the other wild card is
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  Speaker 2: Josh Padilla is largely limited this spring, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: I kind of thought if he had stayed healthy last year,
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  Speaker 2: he may have played right guard instead of uh Tiger
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  Speaker 2: Shabula as the season progressed. But obviously he got hurt.
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  Speaker 2: You know, he came in and played pretty well at
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  Speaker 2: that position against Miami, but he seems to be hurt again,
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  Speaker 2: and so it's a little you know, difficult, similar to
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  Speaker 2: the Riley Pettijohn situation. Like you know, if you're out
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  Speaker 2: and you're kind of in a position battle, obviously never
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  Speaker 2: helpful to the player in question. So I think that
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  Speaker 2: they you know, they have lots of experience, as you said,
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  Speaker 2: and so I think it's just a matter of like,
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  Speaker 2: which one, you know, do you want to play? My
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  Speaker 2: assumption is if if Austin Saravell is seeing it left tackle,
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  Speaker 2: then one of Van Sickle or Padilla's playing right guard,
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  Speaker 2: because to me, like Ian Moore is more of a
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  Speaker 2: tackle body, I'd sort of be surprised if he was
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  Speaker 2: sliding a rate guard. Or do you feel better with
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  Speaker 2: Ian Moore and left tackle and Austin Saravelt or right guard?
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  Speaker 2: You know what's your best five? So I do think
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  Speaker 2: they're working for positions strength. I think you know what
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  Speaker 2: we're talking about. I think Arthur Smith's presence will help
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  Speaker 2: the offensive line, and obviously you'll have about as many
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  Speaker 2: returning starts as anyone in college football at that spot.
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  Speaker 1: You mentioned the guys who are maybe banged up and
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  Speaker 1: not able to practice and what impact impact that may
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  Speaker 1: have on them. The running back position, you got a
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  Speaker 1: couple guys who are not full go of this spring
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  Speaker 1: in Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, but that is opening
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  Speaker 1: him up some opportunities for some of the younger backs.
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  Speaker 1: And the name that everyone is talking about this spring
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  Speaker 1: is Legend Bay. He is maybe a little bit of
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  Speaker 1: a unique skill set among the Ohio State running back room.
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  Speaker 1: And what kind of ways do you think that they
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  Speaker 1: might be able to utilize him and maybe check some
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  Speaker 1: boxes that other guys in that room maybe he can't.
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  Speaker 2: It seems like they want to use him a little
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  Speaker 2: bit as a hybrid where he can play some running back,
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  Speaker 2: he can place in the slot, and they can you know,
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  Speaker 2: move him around and try to get him touches in
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  Speaker 2: different ways. But I think kind of to see how,
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  Speaker 2: like you know, remains to be seen. I do think
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  Speaker 2: it seems like he's certainly going to play a role
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  Speaker 2: this year. I think how much you know, he can
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  Speaker 2: handle as a running back will be important though, to
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  Speaker 2: like how many touches he can get, because obviously they're
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  Speaker 2: pretty deep at wide receiver and I think that he'll
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  Speaker 2: probably help them more immediately at running back for the
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  Speaker 2: reasons we discussed. But you know, it's not like Ryan
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  Speaker 2: Day has had a lot of those kind of hybrid types,
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  Speaker 2: and so I think it'll be interesting to see how
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  Speaker 2: he and Arthur Smith utilize Legend Bay, But I do
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  Speaker 2: think it seems like he'll play a role.
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  Speaker 1: And then let's wrap it up with the wide receivers
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  Speaker 1: and Jeremiah Smith. You know what you're getting with Jeremiah Smith.
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  Speaker 1: Everyone else, it feels like there's at least a little
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  Speaker 1: bit of a question. There's been certainly some early positive
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  Speaker 1: buzz on both of the transfer wide receivers Devin and
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  Speaker 1: Kyle Parker and Brandon Innis is seemingly very focused on
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  Speaker 1: taking that next step for himself, and there's been plenty
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  Speaker 1: of positive buzz around some of the freshman wide receivers.
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  Speaker 1: So what are you hearing there? And I think the
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  Speaker 1: big question that everyone is asking is, so, if they
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  Speaker 1: have more good wide receivers this year, does that mean
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  Speaker 1: you're going to see less of the fourteen and thirteen
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  Speaker 1: and maybe even twelve personnel packages this year?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean those are obviously we're sort of like
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  Speaker 2: it's sometimes in unique situations. But I mean I think
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  Speaker 2: the short answers yes, like they did. In fact, we're
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  Speaker 2: pretty light on wide receivers last year, particellily once Cardinal
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  Speaker 2: take got hurt. I mean, you know they were starting
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  Speaker 2: David Adolf against Rutgers. So they were obviously, you know,
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  Speaker 2: pretty thin there. As we've discussed, I think they've rebuilt
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  Speaker 2: the room in a way that is more designed not
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  Speaker 2: only to like increase the depth, but to spread out
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  Speaker 2: the types of receivers they had. As we said, they
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  Speaker 2: were very heavy on X wide receivers. You know, big
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  Speaker 2: body types. You know Jeremiah Smith obviously, and then you
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  Speaker 2: know Facimile's uh poor man Jeremi Smith. And so this
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  Speaker 2: gives them like some more versatility with Kyle Parker, Devin
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  Speaker 2: mcew and we were just talking about like yards after
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  Speaker 2: the catch. Those guys obviously can help in that uh front.
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  Speaker 2: You know, Brandon and is obviously is looking to build
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  Speaker 2: on what he did last year. So I think right
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  Speaker 2: there you have like four guys that I think, you know,
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  Speaker 2: you can play Parker, McEwan at Z obviously opposite Smith outside,
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  Speaker 2: they can go into the slot, you can move guys around.
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  Speaker 2: So I do think you'll see more, but more eleven
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  Speaker 2: and you know, I still think there'll be plenty of
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  Speaker 2: twelve personnel. They have seven scholarship tight ends with some
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  Speaker 2: versatility as well. But I think there'll probably be less
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  Speaker 2: emphasis on you know, three and four tight end sets
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  Speaker 2: even short yards. I mean they obviously moved away from
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  Speaker 2: that against Miami as well, you know. And and then obviously,
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  Speaker 2: like you know, even beyond the Chris Henry Junior, like
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  Speaker 2: lots of buzz about brock Boyd now, and so I
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  Speaker 2: think the room is definitely deeper. You know what that
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  Speaker 2: looks like for may to be seen. You know, how
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  Speaker 2: much anyone can get beyond those top what I would
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  Speaker 2: consider the top four guys. You know, you want to
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  Speaker 2: only pull the Jeremi space of the world off the
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  Speaker 2: field sparingly, but may have some ability putting Smith aside
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  Speaker 2: to mix guys in and out depending on situations. But
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  Speaker 2: that again goes also as I said to the legend
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  Speaker 2: bay point, which is why you know, I feel like
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  Speaker 2: the running back rooms a lot more unsettled, particular with
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  Speaker 2: the injuries.
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  Speaker 1: Uh.
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  Speaker 2: And so that's you know, I think there's probably more
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  Speaker 2: opportunities to break through there as a freshman than there
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  Speaker 2: is out at wide receiver.
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  Speaker 1: All right, so you got your defense update last week
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  Speaker 1: from Ross. You get your offense update this week. We
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  Speaker 1: had a great comment in the last video asking for
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  Speaker 1: a show where Ross just kind of goes through and
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  Speaker 1: define some of our terms. When we talk about four
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  Speaker 1: eye or the penny front or whatever, what do we mean.
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  Speaker 1: We'll get to one of those shows in a little bit.
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  Speaker 1: We always love getting good, you know, interesting and creative
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  Speaker 1: suggestions from you guys. I thought that was a really
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  Speaker 1: good one, So we will get to that at some point.
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  Speaker 1: We'll probably do one with the offense as well. Probably
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  Speaker 1: what is inside zone, what is outside zone? All that
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  Speaker 1: kind of stuff. What's the difference between the gap run
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  Speaker 1: and all that? All that fun stuff, all the stuff
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  Speaker 1: you've heard Ross talk about. We'll do a show or
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  Speaker 1: two about those in the coming weeks. So there you go.
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  Speaker 1: And when Ross is back on the show, we will
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  Speaker 1: be once again sponsored by Jeff Ruby Steakhouse, the award
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  Speaker 1: winning upstale steakhouse in downtown Columbus, name one of the
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: top fifty steakhouses in America by Food Network. Just go
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  Speaker 1: to Jeffruby dot com slash Columbus to check out the
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  Speaker 1: menu and make a reservation today. That'll do it for today.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you guys all for joining us. Have a great day.
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  Speaker 1: We'll talk to you tomorrow.